One family's adventures in beekeeping, real food, and urban farming on 1.28 acres.

Feel the love! Inspiring Blog Award and 15 bloggers you should visit.

I have been a very lackadaisical blogger when it comes to passing on awards such as these, and there’s only one way to reverse the trend – get off my blogging arse! A big thank you to Shan over at My Food Religion for the award and props. Double fist pump for real food, girlfriend! I love your blog, and your philosophy towards food in general.

I love finding new bloggers. These are the ladies and gentleman who have made me chuckle, think, and write, and I’m so grateful that they share their view of the world.

Award Rules: * Thank the person who nominated you. * Share 7 things about yourself. * Nominate 15 other bloggers that you admire or inspire you. * Go leave a comment and let the people know you have nominated them.

Seven things? I only get seven? But I am an extra-sparkly diamond with facets all over the place. I have facets in places I didn’t even know I had places. Ok, I jest. I will shut up and tell you my seven interesting things about myself.

1. Before changing to a real food diet, I didn’t like cilantro, basil, raw onions, or any of the more aromatic herbs and spices. I now adore and crave them.

2. My favorite season is autumn. The leaves are breathtaking against the azure sky, and when they come down they are crunchy and fragrant to walk through. I got married in an October because I love it so much.

3. I have an uncanny connection to any given vehicle that I’m driving. I can instantly tell when there is something wrong with most of my car’s parts long before a mechanic would have recommended bringing it in. I’ve earned the grudging respect and mystification of not a few mechanics for this very reason. And I’ve never said the sky was falling when it was not.

4. Before we adopted our two girls, we fostered two other little girls, Alita and Jenna. They, too, were sisters, and came to us at the ages of 5 and 6. They were with us for 22 months before being returned to their birth mom. I learned so much from them and am grateful to have been a part of their lives. I miss them terribly.

5. Richard and I were married underneath the big willow tree in our backyard, by our friend Steve, an ordained minister.

6. After my dad died and my mom moved in with us in October 2010, I gained a new perspective into my parents’ marriage, and thus my own. Richard and I are true blue; we’ll be together til death do us briefly part. If Richard goes first, he’ll probably just play this super-annoying bubble blaster game on his phone til I get there.

7. I used to think I was really smart. Now I just think I’m happy most of the time. If I’m smart occasionally it’s probably just because I get laser-focused on random stuff and learn in great big gulps, before wandering happily off to sniff out another topic. Kind of like a labrador retriever in a dog park. Snuffle snuffle snuffle SNORT.